From 30 C and storms to snow risk, Western Canada gets full spring experience
Spring can often bring a multi-season feel in parts of Canada, and that can be said this weekend in the West as a heat-busting cold front will also bring the risk of thunderstorms
B.C. was able to snag Canada's first 30-degree temperature in 2025, but the weather will soon make a U-turn on the West Coast and the Prairies.
The heat and dry conditions have led to wildfires and an overall threat of additional blazes in parts of B.C.. The Western provinces will also see a chance of seeing thunderstorms with a cold front slicing through...before an impending cooldown then brings a high-elevation snowfall risk as we conclude the weekend.
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However, it won't stay that way for long for the West. Forecasters expect a ridge of high pressure to develop over the Prairies by next week, bringing a good chance for warmer and drier weather with several days of temperatures in the 20s. Meanwhile, B.C. will see a noticeable warm-up by Tuesday.
Saturday: Heat and storm threat to kick off May
Kamloops, B.C., took the prize this year for the first Canadian community to reach the 30-degree mark. The observation station there saw a high temperature of 30.1°C on Friday afternoon. Many other locations in B.C.'s Interior and in Alberta saw high temperatures in the mid- to upper 20s.
The weekend will kick off nicely once again, with warm temperatures extending their stay in the West, especially on the Prairies.
However, that pattern will soon flip.
By the end of the weekend, those temperatures will be in the rearview mirror as a cold front slices through. The cold front tracking southward on Saturday will spark showers and isolated thunderstorms from the B.C. Interior to the Alberta foothills through the afternoon and evening.
Parts of Western Canada have been experiencing moderate drought conditions, so every bit of rain helps. This weekend’s rainfall, however, isn’t expected to be heavy, although with thunderstorms, there is always the threat of downpours.
Sunday: Pattern shifts with storm risk, cooldown, high-elevation snow chance
The front pushes into Saskatchewan Sunday, with a low-pressure system developing near the U.S. border. Along the frontal boundary, there will be the risk of isolated thunderstorms. Areas at risk will be primarily in southern Saskatchewan––south of Regina in the evening and overnight.
Northern Alberta, north of Edmonton, could hear an isolated rumble Sunday afternoon as an upper trough slides through.
Rain showers and high-elevation snow will continue for the foothills and southwestern Alberta Sunday, bringing some much-needed moisture to the region. Freezing levels, generally, in the the B.C. Interior and Alberta Rockies will fall to 2000 metres on Sunday.
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The rainfall won't be extreme by any measure, only about 10-20 mm worth, but every bit helps with the current dry conditions.
Monday will see light showers continue along the boundary in Saskatchewan. By the evening, the risk for thunderstorms will be across southwestern Manitoba, near the Brandon, Minto and Melita areas.
Beyond, Tuesday will be several degrees warmer in B.C. with high temperatures reaching the upper teens to lower 20s for the South Coast and southern Interior. Showers and cooler temperatures are expected for Wednesday, but rain totals won’t be substantial. Mostly fair weather is expected late week.
Much cooler, but more seasonal, weather will spread across the Prairies behind a cold front, but the warm weather will build again in the middle of and late next week. While there will be interruptions, above-normal temperatures will dominate over the next two weeks.
Stay with The Weather Network for more information and updates on your weather across Alberta.